Sept. 1, 2012
HOUSTON - The No. 7 Boilermakers sewed up second place in the Tiger Classic with a 3-0 sweep of LSU Saturday afternoon. Purdue won the match 25-20 25-19, 25-20.
Senior Ariel Turner led the way with 12 kills, while redshirt junior Catherine Rebarchak added seven. Senior Anna Drewry and sophomore Kiki Jones chipped in six kills apiece. Jones also led the way at the net with seven blocks, while Drewry added four stuffs.
Redshirt junior Carly Cramer paced the defense with 21 digs, while Turner rounded out her double-double with 10 digs, while also adding four blocks. Sophomore Val Nichol served up a team-best three aces, while also dishing out 15 assists.
The Boilermakers outdid the Tigers in all statistical categories including blocks, which Purdue won 11-3.
Turner and Cramer were named to the all-tournament team for their efforts on the weekend.
Set 1 was one of many rallies as both teams led by as many as three and the lead changed hands three times, but it was Purdue that came out on top, taking a 25-20 win. The Boilermakers trailed 10-6, before scoring seven of the next eight points to take their first lead at 13-11. Turner had two kills and a block in the stretch, which ended with a Nichol ace. LSU countered with six of the next seven points to go ahead 17-14. Purdue called a timeout and outscored LSU 11-3 down the stretch. The Boilermakers finished out the stanza with four straight points, including two kills by Turner and a pair of stuffs by Jones.
The Boilermakers carried the momentum into Set 2, rolling out to a 6-1 advantage. LSU cut the margin to three at 8-5 but would get no closer the rest of the set. Purdue raised the spread to eight at 18-10 with kills from Rebarchak, Drewry, Jones and Turner. The Tigers scored three straight to again make it a five-point game. A trio of Boilermaker points, including a kill by redshirt junior Katie Griffin pushed the Purdue lead to 21-13. LSU made another run, but after a 22-17 score, Purdue scored three of the last five to clinch the win. Nichol and Turner provided putaways, while a Tiger service error ended the set.
Purdue scored the first four points of Set 3, but had to overcome a mid-set deficit and fight off a pesky LSU team en route to the 25-20 win. The Boilermakers finally capped the stanza on their fifth match-point attempt. The Tigers bounced back from the early 4-0 deficit to tie it up at 6-6 and eventually take a 10-8 lead. Trailing 13-11, Purdue turned things around with a five straight points to jump up 16-13. A hitting error and a service ace made it a one-point game at 16-15, but Purdue soon stretched the advantage to 24-16 after a series of Tiger miscues. LSU held off four Boilermaker chances at the match, thanks to two kills and two hitting errors, but Purdue clinched the match as a Tiger hitting attempt sailed long.
The Boilermakers (5-1) return to action at 4:30 p.m. Friday, when they take on Louisville at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge in Cincinnati.